Point Loma Nazarene University

Point Loma Nazarene University logo
#3119 / #817
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#1175
Most Desirable School
Formerly known as Pacific Bible College

Point Loma Nazarene University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#817
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
84%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$48,450
Graduation rate
77%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
3,188

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Point Loma Nazarene University Featured Rankings

About Point Loma Nazarene University

According to Wikipedia, Point Loma Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college with its main campus on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California, United States. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.

Point Loma Nazarene University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
3,06584%86%77%127028

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Point Loma Nazarene University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$48,450
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$34,042
30K - 48K$33,911
48K - 75K$31,096
75K - 110K$34,180
110K+$45,177

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Point Loma Nazarene University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Point Loma Nazarene University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $68,713 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Point Loma Nazarene University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
5,3313,5211,810

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Point Loma Nazarene University?

Point Loma Nazarene University is located at 3900 Lomaland Dr, San Diego, CA 92106-2899.

How Safe is Point Loma Nazarene University?

Relative to its enrollment, Point Loma Nazarene University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.13%. San Diego has a violent crime rate of 0.41% and a property crime rate of 1.69%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is Point Loma Nazarene University Known For?

Point Loma Nazarene University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Point Loma Nazarene University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Point Loma Nazarene University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Nursing
#679
World Rank
#679
Historical Rank
#247
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #247 in the U.S. and #679 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Religious Studies
#1237
World Rank
#1248
Historical Rank
#292
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #292 in the U.S. and #1237 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Social Work
#1053
World Rank
#1055
Historical Rank
#426
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1053 worldwide for influence in Social Work.

social-work Degrees
Psychology
#1252
World Rank
#1268
Historical Rank
#489
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #489 in the U.S. and #1252 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Literature
#1561
World Rank
#1621
Historical Rank
#512
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #512 in the U.S. and #1561 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Biology
#2743
World Rank
#2774
Historical Rank
#632
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #632 in the U.S. and #2743 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Criminal Justice
#1375
World Rank
#1381
Historical Rank
#735
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #735 in the U.S. and #1375 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Communications
#2973
World Rank
#3003
Historical Rank
#792
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #792 in the U.S. and #2973 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Medical
#2993
World Rank
#2997
Historical Rank
#850
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #850 in the U.S. and #2993 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
History
#2652
World Rank
#2663
Historical Rank
#856
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #856 in the U.S. and #2652 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Political Science
#3794
World Rank
#3803
Historical Rank
#873
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #873 in the U.S. and #3794 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Engineering
#5205
World Rank
#5213
Historical Rank
#962
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #962 in the U.S. and #5205 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Education
#4877
World Rank
#4883
Historical Rank
#1163
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #1163 in the U.S. and #4877 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Philosophy
#4077
World Rank
#4114
Historical Rank
#1233
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #1233 in the U.S. and #4077 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Mathematics
#5520
World Rank
#5544
Historical Rank
#1458
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #1458 in the U.S. and #5520 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Sociology
#4948
World Rank
#4952
Historical Rank
#1610
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #1610 in the U.S. and #4948 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Economics
#8348
World Rank
#8350
Historical Rank
#1975
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #1975 in the U.S. and #8348 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Physics
#7294
World Rank
#7311
Historical Rank
#2076
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #2076 in the U.S. and #7294 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Chemistry
#7797
World Rank
#7803
Historical Rank
#2267
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #2267 in the U.S. and #7797 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Computer Science
#9035
World Rank
#9041
Historical Rank
#2352
USA Rank

Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #2352 in the U.S. and #9035 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees

Who Are Point Loma Nazarene University's Most Influential Alumni?

Point Loma Nazarene University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Social Work, and Religious Studies. Here are some of Point Loma Nazarene University's most famous alumni:

Stanley E. Porter
An American writer and scholar.
Michael Lodahl
An American theologian.
Mildred Bangs Wynkoop
An American theologian.
James Franklin Kay
A Professor, author and editor of Homiletics.
Richard S. Taylor
A Nazarene educator and theologian.
Ron Benefiel
An American theologian.